Piccadilly Circus London

Piccadilly Circus, London

Piccadilly Circus in Westminster is an iconic location and a magnet for the millions of foreign tourists that visit London every year.

Tourists flock to Eros

History

Piccadilly Circus was laid out in 1819 to connect Regent Street to the north with Piccadilly to the west.

The big draw here is the large neon displays on the north side, the statue of Eros by Alfred Gilbert and the Shaftesbury memorial fountain erected in 1892-1893. Piccadilly Circus tube station, directly below is served by both the Piccadilly and Bakerloo Lines. It is an extremely busy intersection.

The statue of Eros is an iconic meeting point in central London

Access – Getting There

Piccadilly Circus is close to London’s main theatre district on Shaftesbury Avenue. It is also a short stroll to Chinatown, London’s gay village centred on Old Compton Street and the entertainment mecca of Soho.

The London Pavilion and the Criterion Theatre are both located in the circus. Shops close by include Lillywhites retailing sporting goods, Hamley’s for toys, and the Japan Centre for Japanese food and books on Japan now on Panton Street.

Jermyn Street for high-end gentlemen’s fashion is just to the south running west. London Trocadero connects with Piccadilly Circus underground station.

The Cafe Royal

Things to See Nearby

Other attractions in London in the vicinity by tube or bus include Westminster Abbey and Big Ben to the south and Buckingham Palace to the southwest. South of the River Thames are both Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and also the London Eye.

The Cafe Royal is a world famous, luxury hotel on nearby Air Street.